November 1, 1999Performed at the family cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The cabin is a two-room log affair. Water comes from a natural srping down the hill behind the cabin. Over the years a stone grotto has been built over the spring source and a small pool dug out.

Preparing the space: clear the yard around the cabin of fallen branches and other debris, make a Fire, fetch water from Boan’s spring, place 3 candles, bottle of oil, bottle of mead & a loaf of bread by the Fire.

Meditation: by the spring. Bathe and purify by the spring. Leave offering of silver chain.Opening the Gates: I call to the children of Lir who have passed the ages of men and beasts, who dwell in all realms. I call to the children of Lir--come, hold open the gates between the Worlds. Come hold open the Ways Between. Come carry my words and watch the ways I walk tonight. Let the Gates be Open!Honoring the Nature Spirits: call to spirits of the place, ask them for their welcome. Leave an offering of peanuts.Honoring the Ancestors: call to the Blessed Dead, ask them to witness my Rite of Dedication. Make them an offering of ale (pour it into the flow of the spring).Process up to the Fire.Honoring the Shining Ones: Call to the Gods and Goddesses, ask them to witness my act of dedication. Make offering of oil to the Fire.Purpose: I stand before the spirits of this place, my Ancestors, and my Gods alone and unencumbered. I stand here to make a pledge. I stand here to take an oath. I stand here to make a promise.light 1st candle: I will follow the Gods of my Ancestors--McAndrew and Levitt--Irish, Polish, German. I will keep their rites as best I may. light 2nd candle: I will live with Honor that my Ancestors may rest with pride.Light 3rd candle: I will serve my tribe and my folk as best I may.I stand now before the spirits of this place, before my Gods and Ancestors as someone new. I have sworn three things; to honor my Gods, to live so as to bring honor to my Ancestors, and to serve my folk. I will reenter the world ready to work and live in the service of Nature, the Blessed Dead, and the Shining Ones. As covenant, I offer the work of my hands, I offer the sustenance of my flesh (offer bread and mead).Sit in meditation for a time.Shining Ones, I have offered you my oath and now I ask for your direction. Thanks and farewell.Ancestors, I have offered you my oath and now I ask for your protection. Thanks and farewell.Spirits of Nature and of this place, I have offered you my oath and now I ask for your guidance. thanks and farewell.

Evaluation:Admittedly, I went into this rite with a feeling of redundancy. After all, I had made my oaths to my Gods long ago, before I came to ADF and before I embarked on this Dedicant Program. Nevertheless, I would do it.

I had never camped at the cabin alone before, I had always been there with family or friends. Having been used to camping from an early age I didn't really give any thought to this being my first lone foray. It struck me once the sun started setting I was naked, alone, cold, in the woods. The initial meditation was calming and fortifying. I was able to calm my fears and relax into a confidence that I knew what I was about and was capable of handling things.

Yet, as I sat by the Spring, I began to see that this was less an Oath of dedication as an Oath of Changing Direction. For surely I was not beginning a new path, but I was striking out on a new branch of my path. So, it would be a Rite of Turning, a Rite of Renewing, a Rite of Something Different. The oaths would be new because they would be in a different context. Now I would fulfill my oaths in the context of ADF.

With this perspective, the oath to the folk took new meaning. When I wrote the oath, I meant tribe and folk in a generic, mankind kind of way. In the ritual it became clear that my folk were ADF and that I wanted a tribe, a Grove. That oath became an oath of finding a tribe.

2006: GOSH Yule riutal & Oath swearing

It is our Grove practice to swear our officer oaths at Yule. This year, we composed a Grove Dedicant Oath that several of us swore. I decided to make the oath as well since I have to resubmit all of my DP work. Having a Grove oath contributes to our on-going tribe-buildingefforts. While I oppose the idea of a standard ADF oath, I delight in our GOSH DP oath. The swearing of it, using our Grove regalia and before all the folk had a feeling of comfort, of being settled to it. Our Oath-taking is rather formal and solemn and we spend a great deal of time discussing the seriousness of oaths.

This was the first Yule at which we used the Grove oath. I thought the event would be nice, but not necessarily powerful. I was mistaken. The Oathing section begins with an invocation to Vor, handmaiden of Frigg and mistress of oaths. I made the invocation and offered flax to the fire. Speaking to the gods is often an altering act, and this invocation deepened my sense of the import of this oath. Yes, any and all oaths should be serious, but having called the Keeper of Oaths myself, I knew we weren't messing around and that we were being heard.

I made my oath first. Though I had memorized the wording, I wasn't in complete control of it going into ritual. At the moment however, the words blazed in my mind and each line felt like it dropped physically into the Well.

After ritual, we agreed as a Grove that we would all make the oath each Yule. It has become a real tribe-building tradition. But nothing could rival that first oath-taking.

I bring my skills and knowledge to the fire of inspiration, to the well of wisdom, and to the sacred tree.

May my words echo through the nine realms as I offer up the gift of my oath in their honor.

I call on the spirits of nature, the fallen dead, the Aesir and the Vanir, hear me! I am _____ of the family of ______, and it is my will to walk the Pagan way.

I swear to live by the virtues given by tradition. I swear to keep the feasts and observances of the Ancient Ones, as I understand them. I swear to seek the truth of the elder ways, to learn the lore and meaning of our ancestors' wisdom. I swear to honor the spirits of the land and the Earth that sustains me.

So I swear by fire and by water, so I swear at the foot of the world tree. Before Vor, and Frigg, and all of the gathered folk, I make this oath. <drink from the horn>

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